1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic device for slidable adjustment of the position of two abutting members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for devices for adjusting the relative relationship between two bands, sheets, or objects have been designed in the past. Many of these devices include buckles and other mechanical items to keep fixed the relative and/or effective length of the device. These devices are capable of adjustment many times. However, there are no magnetic adjustment devices as the one claimed herein. Here, the positioning of magnetic elements in two cooperating bands or sheets with their movement constrained provides a novel mechanism for adjusting the relative position between the two bands or sheets. The resulting device can be utilized in a great number of applications.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,131 issued to Shin on Jan. 9, 2001 for Magnetic Buttons and Structures Thereof. The patented device makes reference to a “magnetic zipper”. Col. 2, line 44; Col. 6, lines 34 and 35. However, it differs from the present invention because the magnets are arranged in groups lacking a pattern that will alternate between attraction and repulsion forces. Shin does not disclose constraining the movement of sheets or bands to cause discrete movements from stable to unstable configurations.
The present invention is applicable to a diversity of objects that have two pieces to be removably affixed to each other and their relative position adjusted, so that the adjustment is accomplished without separating the two pieces but rather by sliding them with respect to each other.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.